Invisible Foe
by lemon fresh1
Summary: When a mysterious illness strikes Tokyo, new feelings and new realizations are made as Kenshin prepares to fight a foe unlike any other. K/K A/M
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the sole property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Sony, and Jump Comics.  Any resemblance to affiliated characters, events, or scenarios are purely the brainchild of a starving artist who has neither money nor legal expertise, so don't sue her!!

Warnings: Slight spoilers, nothing that is not already obvious from the outcome of the anime.  No yaoi, but some hints at sexuality, and extensive use of profanity.  This fanfiction will _stay_ PG-13.  Well, at least for now.  ~_^

Author's Note: Thanks to Silent Sensei for helping me proofread this and correcting my grammar.  I still owe you a daquiri from Tony Chang's!!

Prologue:

There are some things in life that you long to hold onto, but the closer you get to them, the more danger they are in.  No one knows this lesson more painfully than a man who loves a woman very much, but can never tell her because the desire to protect her is stronger than the desire to have her.

This is real love, but as the saying goes, "love hurts."  Especially when it is one-sided.  

Or, when a man _thinks_ it is one-sided.

This is a story about a man above men; a man who amended his killing nature and his bloody lifestyle.  A man who became a wanderer to purge his own sins and to prevent further bloodshed of people at his own hand.  Himura Kenshin, who carries a reverse-blade sword to honor his vow never to slay again.  Truly a prince among men, but would you guess it?  From such a small, quiet figure as his? 

Maybe not.  But you would see it, in his fierce loyalty for his friends, and his unspoken love for his companion.  This is a story that carries his story, before it ends as we know it, but after it has begun to be told.  Sit back, relax, and listen to Tsumi as I tell you a story set in the Meiji era of Japan, when swords were banned and the time of the samurai was freshly buried.  Before the arrival of Kenji and after the death of four Kyoto Oniwabanshuu, here is a story about what happens when the wanderer's woman is threatened by a foe quite unlike any he has dealt with before.

Chapter 1: The stage is set

All is quiet.  The birds are silent in their nests, the grasshoppers have ceased their nightly music, and even the stream trickles noiselessly through the still forest.  Heat hangs over the land like a blanket, stifling the Tokyo inhabitants in the dark of night.  In the distance, a dog emits a short bark.  The sound is swallowed up in the vacuum and even the echoes sound pitifully weak.  The dog does not bark again.

            Out of the stillness, a man appears, his feet swishing through the dry grass as he hurries along.  He walks past a house and looks up to read the name on the gate.  No, he shakes his head and continues on.  He comes to another house, and again he reads the name.  No, that's not right.  This process is repeated for several yards, until finally he reaches a moderately sized house, framed by several saplings.  He lifts his straw hat to read the name, and smiles in relief.  Yes, this is the one.  One hand reaches into his satchel, and out comes a small vial of white powder.  He flings out his hand and spreads it out into the yard, watching in satisfaction as one single, solitary puff of wind scatters the crystals.  After that, there is no more breeze, and the man scurries away.

"BAKA TORI-ATAMA!  You should be thankful that you're getting a free meal!"

"Why can't I get a meal when _Kenshin_ is cooking?"

"Oh, so you're insulting my cooking, now?!"

"No, I'm just saying that my stomach can't digest this stuff!"

"Busu, these riceballs are like rocks with nori!"

"What did you call me, Yahiko-CHAN?"

"Don't call me chan!"

"Then don't call me busu!"

"But looking at your face is harder than trying to eat your food!"

"Ohayo, minna-san.  It's a lovely morning, de gozaru yo."

"Calling me ugly, eh?"

"Ohayo, Kenshin!"

"Daijobu, Misao?"

"I don't know, am I, BUSU?"

"Genki genki!"

"That's it!!  Come here, Yahiko-CHAN!"

"Yaa, try and catch me!"

"ITAAIII!"

"Ohayo, Ken-san."

"Oh, Megumi-dono, ohayo.  What brings you here?"

"Hey kitsune-onna, you better turn around and go home, Kaoru made breakfast."

"URUSAI!  There is NOTHING wrong with my cooking!"

"Yaa, try one of those rock-hard riceballs yourself!"

"Or chuck one at the gaki and maybe he'll stop running around the table!"

"URUSAI!"

"Oro?"

Himura Kenshin sighed and watched the scene with bemused resignation.  Now both Kaoru and Yahiko were seated on the floor, spread-eagle and out of breath.  The pretty dark-haired girl had relinquished her bokken for a pair of chopsticks, which she was now waving tiredly at her young disciple.  

"That's the last time I ever make breakfast for you ungrateful cretins."

"Good, one more riceball like that and I might keel over," Sagara Sanosuke muttered.  

"What did you say?!"

"Maa maa, Kaoru-dono, I'll go make some more food since we have more people to feed this morning."

Kaoru bestowed Kenshin with a benign smile as he sweatdropped nervously and made tracks for the kitchen.  

"See, now you're making poor Kenshin cook extra food because you wasted mine."

Yahiko had regained his breath and was now seated upright next to Megumi.  "So?  Kenshin _likes_ cooking, and he likes cleaning too.  It's like having a really manly woman do all your chores."

Kaoru rolled her eyes and joined the others at the table.  She picked up a riceball from the plate and tentatively poked a bit into her mouth.  

"So, Kitsune, what are you doing here so early?"

"Well I'm obviously not here to see you…"

"It hurts, Megumi, it hurts."

"Yes, I bet it does.  Anyways, I stopped by to see if Misao could come help out at the clinic today."

Kaoru discreetly spat out the bit of rice and cleared her throat before speaking.  "Why do you need help?  Is Dr. Genzai away?"

Megumi shook her head.  "No, he's there right now, but he's taking care of a man with a serious injury.  I've been up to my neck in new patients since midnight; ten people came in with mild symptoms, but it looks like the same disease in each case."

"Honto, ni?  I guess I could help out then, too, unless you need Misao specifically."

"All the help I can get is fine, I was figuring Misao might know some herbal remedies from the Oniwabanshuu."

The petite onmitsu nodded, her black plait swishing against her shoulder as she replied, "Hai, Jiya taught all of us a few different antidotes for illness, and Aoshi-sama knows some of the more advanced diseases."

"Good, both of you can come down to the clinic after breakfast."

Kenshin walked into the room with a tray in his hands.  "Oh, won't you be staying, Megumi-dono?"

"Arigatou, Ken-san, but I have to get back to my patients."  Megumi rose to her feet and nodded at Kaoru and Misao.  "See you two later, then."

"Ja ne."

Sano took a bowl of miso soup as Kenshin sat down with the rest of them.  "So while the women are away, what are you going to do today, Kenshin?"

Kenshin shrugged with a smile on his face as he replied, "Oh, the usual.  I have quite a bit of laundry that I could use some help with though, de gozaru yo…"

WOOSH.  Sano and Yahiko were gone in a blur of clothes and miso.  Kaoru giggled into her teacup while Misao laughed outright at a confused Kenshin.

"Oi, Himura, I don't think those two are cut out for your line of work."

"…Oro?"

When Kaoru and Misao entered the clinic half an hour later, they were surprised to see a line of people waiting in the small room that separated the more serious injuries from the less urgent illnesses.  At first they couldn't see Megumi in the crowd of sick patients, but finally they found her tending to a man seated on a chair, holding a basin as he coughed up blood.  

"Megumi?  Are all these people here with the same disease?"

The fox doctor wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand, nodding tiredly.  "Hai, it looks that way.  This is the first person that came to the clinic last night, and now he's the first of them to start retching blood.  While I was away, about six more people showed up."  The man shuddered and croaked out that he could hold the basin himself, since he wasn't coughing so much now.  Megumi stood up and gave him the basin.

"The main problem with all of them is the fever that's set in; it refuses to go away no matter what I do.  I've tried bark tea, wrapping them in heated sheets, all of Dr. Genzai's old powders, and even some new Western medicines that just came in a few weeks ago."

"And nothing works?" Kaoru asked in concern.

"Nothing," she said firmly.  "I've got the original six except for the coughing man wrapped up in futons in the back," she said, pointing to the mattress-covered figures in another corner of the room.  

Misao walked over to the assortment of herbs and medicines Megumi had spread out on a low table.  She kneeled down and selected a few roots, stripped the leaves off of a small plant, and began grinding them with a mortar and pestle.  She explained her actions as she mixed, adding water and tea to the mortar.

"Aswaghanda leaves are popular in India for the reduction of fever, along with Khus and Papaya leaves," she said as she poured an even amount of the concoction into six small bowls.  A fire had already been built outside for the heated sheets, and Misao took the bowls to heat over the flames for several minutes while Megumi directed Kaoru to the newest arrivals.

"Tadaima," Misao said wearily as she and Kaoru entered the Kamiya dojo, completely spent from a full day at the clinic.  Kenshin emerged from the kitchen, holding two cups of tea.  At the sight of the exhausted girls, a worried look crossed his face.

"Was it that bad?  How many patients did you take care of?"

Misao sank to her knees in front of the table, dropping her head into her hands.  "When we got there, Megumi had 16.  7 came in after our two minute lunch break, but Dr. Genzai was finished with his injured patient by then, so we had more help.  Around mid-afternoon, 5 others came, and none of them were in any condition to go home, but the clinic was full.  Megumi told the ones who were less far along in the symptoms to go home, stay well rested, and take the tea I made with every meal and twice between eating."

"Do you think it will help?" Kenshin asked.

Kaoru shook her head, swaying for a minute as the world seemed to tilt out of focus.  Kenshin was on his feet, rushing to her side as he helped her sit.  Misao peeked through her hands.

"Ne, Kaoru, are you feeling okay?"

"Hai-ai, I'm fine…" she said dazedly, desperately trying to make her eyes focus again.  Suddenly Kenshin's concerned face was in front of her hazy vision, violet eyes boring holes into her pools of blue.

"Kaoru-dono?  Kaoru-dono, can you hear me?"

Kenshin's voice sounded so strange, as if he was speaking through a wall…

"Kenshin, is she ok?"

Misao's voice seemed to come from far away…

"Kaoru-dono!  Kaoru-dono, look at me!"

But Kenshin, you're right there…I _am_ looking, she tried to say.  But her mouth would not comply with her brain's wishes, and only a strangled moan emitted forth.

"Himura, look!  Kenshin, she's-

She's-

She's-

She's-

Silence.

Kaoru could see Kenshin's lips moving, and she could Misao getting up and running somewhere…Where was she going?  Through the haze that was threatening to consume her, she could barely make out his face now…So handsome, such rugged features…Her feeble hand lifted to cup the side of his face, and then, and then,

Darkness.

A/N:  Questions?  Comments?  Angry criticism?  Leave a review and tell me what you think!  And have a nice weekend while you're at it.  ^_^


	2. chapter 2

Megumi wiped tired hands across her kimono, leaving faint streaks of sweat as she stood and faced a very worried rurouni.  

"Hai, it's definitely the same mystery disease, Ken-san."

  
Kenshin's violet eyes were pleading as he watched Megumi pack up her satchel.  "Are you sure, de gozaru ka?  Couldn't she just have passed out from exhaustion today?"

Megumi shook her head sadly.  "Gomen ne, Ken-san, she has the exact same symptoms as the patients filling up the clinic."

"How do you know, you checked her over so quickly?"

"Any one-eyed apprentice can recognize a fever and a rash, Kenshin."

"If you knew it was contagious, why did you allow Kaoru-dono and Misao-chan to work there without protection?"

"I didn't, they wore heavy gloves and I wouldn't let them go near the severely ill patients.  Misao was kept busy making her special tea, and Kaoru helped the newcomers get situated.  Neither of them should have had any harmful exposure at all."  Megumi sighed and placed a hand upon Kenshin's shoulder.  "Gomen nasai, there's nothing more I can do for her until we figure out what causes this sickness.  Keep her well packed in futons and hot bricks, have her drink a cup of the tea each time she wakes, and try to see if she can stomach a bowl of hot soup."

Kenshin nodded and smiled at Megumi.  "Arigatou gozaimes, Megumi-dono, I'm sorry if I snapped at you, I was just worried about Kaoru-dono."

Megumi gave his shoulder a comforting pat before picking up her satchel and nudging the foot of Sanosuke, who was dozing in the corner.  The ex-gangster blinked and sneezed, easing himself up to a sitting position as he rubbed his bleary eyes.

"Kitsune, the smell of those damn herbs are making me crazy."

"Oh, it's not the herbs, Tori-atama.  You've always been a little off.  Get your lazy self up, we're going to the clinic."

Sano yawned and scratched his hair.  "We?"

"Yes, as in me, the doctor, and you, the basin boy.  Dr. Genzai is too old to be staying up all night."

"Aw, Kitsune…"  

"Oyasumi nasai, Ken-san.  If there's any drastic change in Kaoru's condition, send Misao to the clinic right away.  And stop worrying so much," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.  "Kaoru's a big girl and she'll pull through this."

Kenshin didn't answer, smiling and bowing as Megumi left the dojo, followed by a loudly complaining Sano.  As soon as the two were out of sight, the smile left his face and he closed the gate with a sigh.  Of course Kaoru would pull through this, she was a strong, energetic girl with a stubborn nature and a will to live.  

Chotto matte, will to live?  Why would Kaoru need such a thing?  This was just an unnamed sickness that would pass over soon, nothing serious about it, ne?  Kenshin pulled his hair in frustration.  How could he determine the seriousness of a disease he didn't even understand?  How could he tell Kaoru she would be alright, and that it was nothing that couldn't be cured?  How could he know for certain that this disease was not fatal?

Kenshin blanched.  The thought had not yet crossed his mind.  Fatal.  Such an ugly, foreshadowing word.  

No, Megumi-dono said nothing of the possibility of fatality.  She said not to worry, and she should know, ne?  She's a doctor.

_But she has never seen this disease, and she has others to take care of._

I will take care of Kaoru-dono.

"Yes, I will take care of Kaoru-dono.  Nothing bad will happen to her," he spoke aloud, trying to force as much confidence into the statement as he could.  The cawing of a crow seemed to mock his words in the still, empty heat of early morning.  Kenshin shook his head and straightened his shoulders, walking back to the dojo with a heavy load on his mind.  He was so preoccupied with thoughts of Kaoru and the mystery disease that he had barely time enough to register the fact that someone had quite suddenly bumped into him and now the two of them were sprawled across the floor.  

"Oh, Kenshin, I didn't see you there.  You're so quiet, Himura!" 

Kenshin rubbed his head ruefully and stood up, offering a hand to Misao.  "And you are up very early this morning, Misao-chan.  Is something wrong?"

Misao got to her feet and rearranged the armful of cloth she carried, checking to make sure she wasn't missing any pieces.  "Iie, I couldn't sleep very well.  I was worried about Kaoru so I woke up and checked in on her."

Kenshin smiled and took the burden out of her arms.  "You're a great help to us, Misao-chan, but you needn't worry about Kaoru.  Megumi said she should be fine if we can keep her fever down."

"Hai, but I wanted to check anyways.  Megumi's busy with all her patients at the clinic, but we only have Kaoru to look after."

"Does she look better than yesterday?"

"I dunno, Himura, maybe you should check yourself if you're so keen on her appearance," Misao suggested with a jaunty wink.  

"Oro…Misao…"

"I'm just kidding, baka, she's still sleeping and she looks fine.  Her head still felt hot, though, so I'd better make some more tea for when she wakes up."

"Arigatou gozaimes, Misao-chan, I'll start breakfast after you're done in the kitchen."

Misao nodded and waved him off.  Kenshin hesitated for a moment with one foot in the doorway and one foot set towards Kaoru's room.  Did he really need to see her?  Yes, he did.  He needed to reassure himself that she was okay, to see her sleeping peacefully and without pain.  He set his right foot in motion and headed down the hall, sliding the shoji door open ever so carefully.  His sandaled feet made next to noise at all as he crept into the silent room and set down the bundle of sheets next to the slumbering figure encased in futons.  Kaoru did look peaceful as she slept, her long lashes resting atop ivory cheekbones.  A faint stain of red covered the tops of those porcelain cheeks, evidence of the fever that had set in overnight and refused to budge.  Kenshin kneeled down next to her and rearranged the futons that had slipped to the side, exposing the pale limbs and plain white yukata.  Kaoru stirred in her sleep, moaning softly as she tossed her head to the side.  Kenshin froze with his hands in midair, fearful lest she wake and brain him for being so close to her bed.  

"Ken…shin…" Kaoru sighed and turned over again, her back now facing the motionless rurouni.  He kept stationary a few moments before tugging the top futon down and sitting back on his heels, intent on waiting to make sure she didn't awaken.  Kaoru made no more noise and her body was still except for the steady rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed without disturbance.

For now, in this peaceful sanctuary of silence, Kenshin was more than happy to simply sit and watch his best friend and companion, bathed as she was in the early morning sunlight.  The soft glow caught the blue highlights in her raven black hair, accentuating the gentle slope of her cheek and the firm curve of her jaw.  Many people in the town thought Kaoru was too much of a tomboy to amount to anything as a woman, but Kenshin thought she was absolutely perfect, a cheerful youth that just happened to be skilled in kendo.  She was cute when mad and beautiful when she smiled, almost enough light to chase away the darkness in his tainted soul.  Every fiber in his body longed to reach out and brush away the dark bangs that fell across that china face, but every bit of common sense kept his hands to himself.  Kaoru was sweet and sensitive and special, too special to be dirtied with the love of a murderer.

Kenshin's wistful sigh broke the almost-holy silence in the room, a gusty exhale that had somehow escaped his guarded self-control.  His eyes widened as Kaoru's opened, sapphire orbs blinking in confusion as she struggled to remember how she had ended up in her own bed last night.

"Kenshin?"

"Ohayo gozaimes," he said with a fake cheerful smile.  Kaoru tilted her head, eyes still fuzzy with sleep.

"Ohayo, Kenshin.  What time is it?"

"Very early, de gozaru yo.  You should go back to bed." 'Back to bed, koishii…'  He stood up to go.

"Aa.  Ano…Kenshin?"

The redhaired man turned in midstep, his heart still banging wildly in his chest.  "Hai?"

Kaoru smiled sleepily and sat up on the tatami.  "I just wanted to tell you…"

"H-hai, Kaoru-dono?"

"Hare heta yo."

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

Maa maa, sorry it's so short!  I know I haven't updated in a long time, but school is a bitch.  _  Anyways, feel free to tell me what you think of it!  R&R, onegai!


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